County Board Chairman Steve Knebel resigns at end of meeting

The Fayette County Board is now down to 13 members following the resignation of board member and Chairman Steve Knebel at the end of last night’s monthly board meeting. Following the public comments section, Knebel read a statement he prepared in which he talked about his time on the board and the tough decisions that the board has had to make in recent times because of the state expecting the county to do more with less. Knebel then explained a recent situation in which the board decided to not fill one of two positions that were left open following the departure of two employees from the County Clerk’s office.

And Knebel says that he encouraged for the one position in the office be filled by a current employee of the county, but that the clerk chose not to hire that employee and within her right to make that decision.

Knebel went on to say that there was no connection between the board’s decision to reduce the number of positions in the Clerk’s office and the decision to not hire the county employee suggested for the open position. However, the Clerk took the matter to the State’s Attorney who then hired a Special Prosecutor to investigate Knebel and the matter.

The investigation is now complete and Knebel announced that he was informed by the Special Prosecutor that no charges will be filed based on the available evidence from the investigation. After stepping back from the board during the investigation, Knebel says he is now free to come back to the board but is choosing to not do so as he has been planning on this being his last term on the board due to him and his wife wishing to construct a new home and move out of the district he represents. Knebel says they are now in the building process. Knebel closed his statement by saying that he was submitting his resignation to the board effective at the adjournment of last night’s meeting.